Surfers Paradise, electrically speaking
Towers since 1959
The 10-storey Kinkabool, Surfers' first high-rise, went up in 1959 and still stands in Hanlan Street. Taller apartment buildings followed through the boom of the 1950s and 1960s and the decades after.
Renters and empty units
51.2% of occupied homes were rented at the 2021 Census, and 33.1% of all private dwellings were unoccupied on census night, many of them holiday apartments.
Canal islands
West of the river, the Isle of Capri is a canal neighbourhood and Cronin Island is reclaimed land, while Chevron Island is a natural island built over with homes.
Flood history
In January 1974 the Nerang River flooded, and about 2,000 people were evacuated from homes along the river and canals.
Network
Energex supplies the area. If the whole building is out, check Energex's Outage Finder or call 13 62 62.
Who usually arranges what in an apartment building
| Inside your unit | Shared parts of the building | |
|---|---|---|
| Lights, switches and power points | You book a licensed electrician | Corridors, lobbies and common areas go through the building manager |
| EV charger | Needs approval if it connects to common property wiring | A shared charger for the car park may suit some buildings better |
| Main switchroom and meters | Not yours to work on | Arranged through the body corporate |
EV charging in a tower
Queensland's body corporate fact sheet says that even a charger inside your own lot can rely on wiring that is common property, and connecting to it needs approval. The committee can say yes if the charger won't spoil the look of the building, cause a nuisance or interfere with other owners' supply. Otherwise it goes to a general meeting.
Expect questions about the building's spare capacity, whether a three-phase charger suits it, whether it limits other owners later and how your power will be metered. An electrician who has fitted car park chargers can answer most of that in writing. EV charger installation on the Gold Coast has more.
Inside your own unit
Every Queensland unit needs interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms by 1 January 2027, whether it's rented or lived in by the owner. If the existing alarms are hardwired, the new ones must be hardwired too, and that's work for an electrician. Smoke alarms on the Gold Coast has the detail.
Our take for Surfers Paradise apartments
Before booking anything, we'd ask the building manager two things: where does my unit's wiring stop being mine, and what does the body corporate need to see before work starts? Then get the electrician to quote with those answers in hand. For a charger, we'd lodge the application in writing with the electrician's capacity notes attached.
Want a specialist to sort it?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match the licence-checked local electrician who does this kind of work, and they call you. No ring-around, and your number goes to them alone.